Issuu

ELYSIAN Women Inspiring Women

WINTER 2021/22

automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com •

• automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com

automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com •

Back Study Gray Oil on Canvas 40h x 30w in By Catherine Woskow

764 MIAMI CIRCLE, SUITE 132 ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30324 (404) 352-8775

www.pryorfineart.com

Torso Frontal Mixed Media on Museum Board, 2020 39h x 20w in By Catherine Woskow

1969 est.

www.tirolergoldschmied.it South Tyrol - Italy

• automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com

the art of refinement diamond-studdet falconhoods

automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com •

• automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com

automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com •

106 Appel de la Sirène The Siren Call collection by Kim Kassas’ captures the beauty of the mermaid and seductive allure of sea.

BY SAMANTHA PAIGE

ELYSIAN VOLUME 8 • ISSUE 3 • THE TRAVEL & TECHNOLOGY ISSUE / AUTOMNE 2022 • L’ÉDITION VOYAGE ET TECHNOLOGIE

FEATURES

68 Lion

Hedy Lamarr

88 124 BY LAURIE BOGART WILES

The

City

The island country of SINGAPORE. BY DAINA SAVAGE

Emilia Wing

134

Mapping art. BY CORA WALDEN

Inspiring Women Barbara Melvin page 136 Jan Zakin page 150 INTERVIEWED BY KAREN FLOYD

history&travel Written in the stars. BY CORDELIA LEAR

architecture&interiors Awe-inspiring & innovative architecture. BY CHRISTY NIELSON

DEPARTMENTS

health&beauty

66shopping

The future of beauty. BY PEARL LUSTRE

The scent of luxury. BY SINDIE FITZGERALD-RANKIN

167

art&culture

174

NFTs and the transformation of art. BY MARCY DUBROFF

philanthropy

184back story

Girls Who Code: The numbers game. BY SONIA HENRY

ELYSIAN celebrates the launch of its 2022 Summer “GREEN” issue at Mountain Sky Ranch in Emigrant, Montana.

on the cover

Cover model Jan Zakin photographed by Michael Paniccia.

food& & dining Dinner with a view. BY WINIFRED TOWNSEND

E publisher

c r e at o r - i n - c h i e f

Ryan Stalvey

executive editor

Laurie Bogart Wiles media

production director

Rob Springer

managing editor

d i g i ta l d i r e c t o r

Celia Wise Cooksey comptroller

Anna Christian director of digital production

implementation

Kevin Pham

d i g i ta l p r o j e c t s d i r e c t o r

Joey Iannetta

director of philanthropy

Kimberli Scott

d e s i g n a s s o c i at e

Amber Edwards

director of web design

development

Elliot Derhay

editorial director

Rita Allison

lead photographer

Michael Paniccia

post-production editor

Elise Rimmer

post-production graphics

Ty Yachaina

d i g i ta l a d d i r e c t o r

Christiana Purves

s o c i a l m e d i a c o o r d i n at o r

Stephanie Duclos

h e a d o f b l o c k c h a i n s t r at e g y

Jeff Jewett

a d m i n i s t r at i v e s u p p o r t

Charlotte Jones

e v e n t c o o r d i n at o r s

Cathy Ellett, Bea Smith contributing writers

Marcy Dubroff, Sindie Fitzgerald-Rankin, Verity Galsworthy, Sonia Henry, Pearl Lustre, Christy Nielson, Samantha Paige, Daina Savage, Hannah Shepard Simpson, Cora Walden copy editors

Nancy Brady, Monya Havekost, Diane High, Hadley Inabinet c o n s u lt i n g e d i t o r

Jason Spencer

c o o r d i n at i n g p r o d u c e r

Paula Fender

c i r c u l at i o n s p e c i a l i s t

Greg Wolfe

contributing photographer

Dalton Rook Barber

ELYSIAN Magazine is published four times per year by Palladian Publications LLC, 113 W. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29306. For subscription information, call 888-329-9534; visit subscriptions@elysianservice.com; mailing address: Subscription Service, Elysian Magazine PO Box 2172, Williamsport, PA 17703 All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

• automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com

At ELYSIAN, technology plays a crucial role in the jobs we do; from research and editing, to video production and designing, we cherish our media, devices, gadgets and applications. From top to bottom: Managing Editor & Digital Director Celia Cooksey, Executive Editor Laurie Boggart Wiles, Media & Production Director Rob Springer, Director of Digital Production & Implementation Kevin Pham, and Post-Production Editor Elise Rimmer with Post-Production Graphic Designer Ty Yachaina.

Karen Floyd

WE ADD SOUL TO EVERYTHING WE TOUCH; WE MAKE THINGS MORE PERSONAL, AND WE VALUE CREATING CONNECTIONS.” —JODIE KING, FORBES MAGAZINE

hrough travel and technology, the ELYSIAN woman expands her range of experiences and therefore broadens perspective. By including women into new conversations, (whether the intersection of exploration and travel with our piece on Singapore . . . or involving women in technology with NFT and web3) ELYSIAN explores new horizons. Always with the intention of growing knowledge and understanding our mission is to create, connect and change.

TRAVEL

TECHNOLOGY

With much anticipation, in Napa Valley on August 6, 2022, Elysian launches our first NFT featuring our magazine cover and Inspiring Woman Jan Zakin. If you have not heard of an NFT or are unsure what a NonFungible Token is, you are not alone. Women have accounted for only 4% of total NFT sales globally since 2020 and according to a report published by ArtTactic, purchased only 16% in the NFT art market. ELYSIAN engages in this untapped space with a goal to provide education and access to what many readers view as an exciting, cutting-edge space. Our NFTs will be experiential in nature, offering access to certain products and/or events. Used to purchase our quarterly NFTs, we are also launching our own cryptocurrency called the Elysian Token. This is an important step for us as proceeds will be allocated on a continuous basis to (women-, children-, and animal-focused) foundations. Philanthropy is core to ELYSIAN’s mission and to make this viable, we have enhanced our (ecosystem/mobile app) to include a digital wallet. Today you can download the ELYSIAN Connect app from the Apple App Store, where you will find step-by-step instructions to engage, locate, and store Elysian Tokens, as well as purchase our NFTs.

OUR WOMEN

As with every issue, we focus on two Inspiring Women whose lives reverberate in the travel and technology space. Our cover and first minted NFT is Jan Zakin. Both a physician and co-owner/proprietor of the Zakin Family Estate, her story of perseverance, self-discovery and philanthropy inspires us to do and be more. In a predominantly male-dominate profession, Barbara Melvin, our second Inspiring Woman, is one of the world’s few women to serve as CEO for a major port. Barbara’s path was both risky and steady, serving over two decades in multiple roles in the sixth largest container shipping port in the United States. When asked what she hoped was her legacy, she responded, “That I gave it everything I had. I left nothing on the table.” And finally, it is only appropriate that we honor ICON feature and actress Hedy Lamarr for her contribution to technology. Called “the most beautiful woman in the world” she had a combination of beauty and brains. The only child of Jewish parents, born in Vienna in the first year of WWII, she was later discovered by Hollywood studio magnate Louis B. Mayer and became an overnight success in her first Hollywood film. With no recognition as an inventor, until recently, she conceived, developed and masterminded “frequency hopping,” a multiple band communication system serving as the foundation technology for GPS, secure Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and top-secret military satellite systems.

OUR “TAKE AWAY”

Traditionally more risk aware than their counterparts, dynamic women become empowered with education and knowledge. Equipped with adequate facts and accurate information, decision making is easier, no matter what the subject. We believe that travel, technology and stories of Inspiring Women fuel the curious mind . . . and that every woman has her own story, value and ability to make a difference. Thank you for taking the journey, With much love,

Karen Floyd Publisher

• automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALLIE HINE

Travel has always been central to an ELYSIAN woman’s life. With an appetite for the unknown, our readers crave adventure, hunger exploring new places and encountering different cultures. As Helen Keller said, “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all.” We dare to travel to foreign parts to discover diverse people and their customs, mores, indigenous art, and commensurate architecture. The ELYSIAN woman is enthralled with wonder in nature’s mountains, oceans, and deserts. These things and more fuel our curiosity, tickle our intellect, repurpose our energy and center our focus. In this issue, we take you to the stars in a breathtaking photo-essay on astronomy. From Azerbaijan to the Italian Alps, Dubai to Delhi, you will be taken away by “Awe-Inspiring and Innovative Architecture.” Feast (visually, at least) on innovative cuisine served in the many restaurants at The Shard, London’s tallest building, which pierces the city’s skyline. Explore Singapore, the melting pot of many cultures, and the dynamic hub of the Far East.

BOUTIQUE IN KING OF PRUSSIA MALL

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JULIAN LE BALLISTER

PAULAHIAN.COM

PAULA HIAN URSULA JACKET & JOLIE SKIRT PICTURED

PAULA HIAN

• automne 2022/23 • édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com

travel&history

written in the

stars BY CORDELIA LEAR

An ancient Bristlecone pine tree in California against a background of swirling stars is captured using a long-exposure, star trail camera technique. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE VER SPRILL / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com •

The Fortune Teller, produced by Westwood, Fiel, Colemann in 1904, describes the temperament and fortunes of each zodiac sign and the birthstones for every month.

stronomy. The study of the universe. A perpetual phenomenon. A spectacle of stars. An endless enigma. Since the first dawn, mankind has looked up to the night sky and marveled at the cosmic creation conceived by an Almighty hand. Astronomers, astrologers, mystics, cosmologists, astrophysicists, opacarophiles, sailors and navigators down through the ages have looked to the heavens for guidance and understanding. While early civilizations had a galactic vocabulary, many of the names we use to identify the constellations today were contrived by the Roman Empire. For example, the constellation Scorpius comes from the Latin word for scorpion, and yet Ancient Egyptians, seeing the same stellar form of that predatory arachnid, called the constellation Ip, after the scorpion king. Then there’s Orion, the hunter-hero figure of Ancient Babylon: that constellation takes its name from the Greek. Indeed, celestial charts have been mapped since the Phoenicians, the first Western civilization to observe the Sun and stars to determine direction. But it was not until 1930, when the International Astronomical Union was formed, that scientific order was established by redrawing maps and defining boundaries among 88 constellations. Of all the constellations, only 12 represent the signs of the zodiac. This is no random thing: the Sun, Moon, and planets appear to wander along a narrow path that runs directly between these groupings and hence, these zodiacal constellations are referred to as “wandering stars.” Modern astrology begins with Nicolaus Copernicus. Born in 1473 in the region then known as Prussia, he was a Renaissance polymath, polyglot, lawyer, physician, classics scholar, translator, governor, economist, mathematician, astronomer—yes, all that and perhaps out of necessity, a politician—he formulated a model of the universe that first placed the sun, not the earth, in its center. However, it was Italian astronomer, physicist, and engineer Galileo Galilei of Pisa (1564-1642) who is called the “father of modern astronomy.” At the cost of heresy decried by Pope Urban VIII and the Jesuit Order, Galileo supported Copernicus’s theory of heliocentrism, which correctly maintains that the Earth rotates daily as it revolves around the sun—hence dawn, dusk, day, night, and the passing of the months and seasons. He disproved the immutability of the heavens, invented the first 30X magnification

• automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com

automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com •

The Boreal and Austral hemispheres are identified with the zodiac signs of the constellations by Dutch cartographer and artist Frederick De Wit (1629-1706), in 1680. MARZOLINO / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

• automne 2022/23 • édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com

automne 2022/23 • édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com •

terrestrial telescope, or spyglass, that made visible the night sky for observation, then manufactured and sold them to seamen as a highly profitable sideline to his experiments and studies. Through his spyglass in 1609 he was the first to see the moon’s lunar mountains and craters and devised topographical charts that accurately estimated their height and size. The following year, he discovered three of Jupiter’s four largest moons, naming them the Medicean stars in honor of his patron, the infamous Cosimo II de’ Medici and his three brothers; but Galileo’s discovery of these satellites and pronouncement that their orbits were contrary to Aristotle’s cosmology that all heavenly bodies circle the Earth, caused a revolution among the astronomers of the day. His observations of the Phases of Venus, Saturn’s rings, and Neptune, and his studies of sunspots located many stars too distant to be visible to the naked eye including the double star Mizar in Ursa Major, and resulted in his pronouncement that the Milky Way, long believed to be a vast formation of nebulous clouds, was a multitude of densely packed stars.

hat there were women astronomers can be of no doubt, however as too often happens, their names and discoveries were undocumented. Until, that is, such female luminaries as Sophie Brahe (1556-1643), a trained horticulturist and chemist who was dissuaded from making astronomical observations as women were deemed unable to achieve the level of understanding necessary to work in the field—but she did. Her work led to the discovery of the supernova (SN 1572), and with her animus invictus (“determined mind”) she refuted the geocentric model of the universe previously held and conducted measurements alongside her brother, astronomer Tycho Brahe, through telescopes and other astronomical devices, of the planets’ orbits. Annie Jump Cannon (1863-1941), who catalogued stellar spectra; and in our own day, the much-maligned C. Marcella Carollo, whose findings of 25 years on galaxy formation and evolution, and extragalactic astronomy, were all but dismissed a mere three years ago when her reputation was heedlessly corrupted when caught up in an insupportable politico-academic controversy. Navigating the night sky with the North Star as their guide

• automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com

Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza under a star-studded night sky. Royal tombs for three different pharaohs, researchers believe the Pyramid of Menkaure, the Pyramid of Kafre, and the Great Pyramid of Giza, along with the Great Sphinx, were engineered in celestial alignment to chart the heavens and earth. PHOTOGRAPHY BY STOCKBYM / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

have led peoples from every corner of the earth to course and explore lands and seas, near and far, to find their way. Knowledge of the heavens was the GPS of ancient days, and it is a pity that modern technology has made ancient technology obsolete because if Wi-Fi was down, if telescopes failed, if we were meant to look up at the stars to find our way, how many of us would see the constellations for the stellar map that guided mankind far, far beyond the span of our present time? Now, do not confuse the technology of astronomy with the pseudoscience of astrology. Apart from the 12 zodiac signs identified among the 88 constellations, there is nothing in common—and indeed, nothing scientific or factual about astrology. But down through the ages, people have believed in it. They are determined that their fate lies in the stars, their future is predetermined, and their movements, thoughts, emotions, indeed their every step along the road of life is taken in sync with the movements and positions of celestial objects. To support or defy this would mean going back to the second millennium BC, when astrology is known to have

been established as the interpretation of divine communication through the shifting celestial cycles. What makes astrology a human phenomenon is the fact that it was developed all over, and in isolated parts of, the world—by the Hindus, the Chinese and the Ancient Mayans of South America, in Mesopotamia, where its roots took hold in the 19th century BC, spreading to Ancient Greece and Rome, throughout the Arab world and lastly, throughout Europe. Astrology is more closely aligned with alchemy and widely referred to as occultism, as pronounced in the works of Dante, Geoffrey Chaucer, and the great bard himself, William Shakespeare, in King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra, and Richard II—indeed, in nearly every play he wrote. Will’s contemporary, Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe, makes reference to astrology in Doctor Faustus. Geoffrey Chaucer refers to it in The Canterbury Tales. It bears no scientific validity, no power, no real benefit except that somehow, some way, some people believe that astrologists not only can guide their lives effectively, but prepare them for things that may happen, before they happen—and, indeed, if they happen. Astrology is

automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com •

Starry, starry night . . . the Greek village of Oia on the island of Santorini, known as Thira, is the largest island of a small archipelago, 120 miles southeast from the mainland in the Aegean Sea. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ICEMANPHOTOS / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

an answer derived from no question. Incredibly, at a time when people are desperately looking for answers, more and more people have looked to astrology for guidance and insurance. Indeed, even as early as Cicero, skeptics objected to astrology and over time, more and more people doubted it altogether—until 1960, when a renewed interest fueled by magazine and newspaper, astrologists began running daily columns that curious and many weak-minded people began to believe in—even to the extent of supplanting their God. According to sociologist Theodor W. Adorno in 1953, “astrology is a large-scale manifestation of systematic irrationalism, where individuals are subtly led—through flattery and vague generalizations—to believe that the author of the column is addressing them directly,” going so far to say that “occultism is the metaphysic of the dopes.” One true believer who kept his own private team of astrologers close by at all times was Adolf Hitler. Far better to embrace Galileo and learn that it was he, more than six centuries ago, whose findings first mapped the mountains and craters that led the way for Apollo 11. Appreciate the man’s

sacrifice, and how he was ultimately forced to forsake his studies when the Catholic Church, threatened by his findings, imprisoned him in Rome for the final years of his life during the Catholic Inquisition, and how for centuries, his 16 books were banned by the Vatican. When Galileo died, completely blind, at the age of 78, his last words were, “And yet it still moves,” reveling in the solar system he no longer could see. So formidable was his contribution to mankind that in his honor, NASA’s Jupiter exploration craft and European satellite navigation systems are called Galileo. ■

herefore, open your own horizon to the night sky by visiting an observatory. Among the most popular are:

GORNERGRAT OBSERVATORY, SWITZERLAND, high in the Alps at an altitude of almost two-miles above sea level, Gornergrat Observatory’s breathtaking views of the Matterhorn

• automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com

and popular Dining With the Stars and Moonlight Fascination packages are, quite literally, a highpoint for holiday skiers. Only accessible by foot or special train from Zermatt, TV viewers may recognize this as a location for the BBC series, The Night Manager. gornergrat-kulm.ch SIDING SPRING OBSERVATORY outside the town of Coonabarabran and about a five-hour drive northwest of Sydney, Australia’s famous Anglo Australian Telescope, with its 3.9-metre mirror, is the largest in the country. The Visitors Viewing Gallery and Exploratory offer hands-on activities and reality presentations. sidingspringobservatory.com.au ST-MICHEL-l’OBSERVATOIRE is located northwest of SaintTropez. Built in 1937, the observatory hosts its popular program, The Summer of Astronomy, which runs from July to mid-September. Local accommodations and Kir Provencal, a local cocktail made with an almond and vanilla liqueur, make this a sought-out destination for amateur astronomers. saintmichellobservatoire.com

MAUNA KEA OBSERVATORY, located atop Hawaii’s highest point, at 4205-meters above sea-level on the crown of the dormant volcano Mauna Kea, is the joint project of 11 countries. To get to the observatory, you will need a four-wheel vehicle and you can only go during the daytime, not past sunset. If you go, be sure you have not gone scuba diving beforehand, or go after. ifa.hawaii.edu or maunakeaobservatories.org ROYAL OBSERVATORY, EDINBURGH is in the Blackford Hill section of the city. Take part in a Public Astronomy Evening (held Fridays from October through April and monthly in the summer) for a tour of the Victorian telescope dome and lecture. roe.ac.uk/vc LOWELL OBSERVATORY, built in 1894 in Flagstaff, Arizona, is where a number of major astronomical breakthroughs were made, such as the discovery of Pluto and the rings of Saturn. Multiple programs are offered. lowell.edu

automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com •

For the ultimate and authentic stargazing experience, go among the stars in a nighttime hot air balloon excursion, where the Milky Way seems to be within arms-reach. PHOTOGRAPHY BY THONGSUK7824 / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

• automne 2022/23 • édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com

automne 2022 • l’édition voyage et technologie • readelysian.com •